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The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have cast their spell on the world, and Jackson County is not immune.

By Paris Achen

The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling have cast their spell on the world, and Jackson County is not immune.

The fantasy novels about the adventures of an adolescent wizard are the most circulated items in the Jackson County Library Services system since the library started keeping electronic records in the late 1990s, says library director Denise Galarraga.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" ranked No. 1. "All Harry Potters were among the highest circulators," Galarraga says.

The most circulated adult book was "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. The fact that the book was chosen for the Jackson County Reads program for 2010 may have given the title a boost, but the book was a best seller.

"It's a very compelling story and set in Pakistan, which is much in the news," Galarraga says. "Also, the author goes into Afghanistan and is kidnapped temporarily by the Taliban. Underneath it all is a very positive message that one person can make a difference."

"Arthur's TV Trouble" by Marc Brown and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" by Dr. Seuss tie for the most circulated children's book, barely beating out "The Grinch" by Dr. Seuss.

One of the most telling top circulators was in the DVD/VHS section. Ingles Sin Barreras, an English language learning set for Spanish speakers, was checked out more than any other DVD/VHS since the late 1990s.

"It's interesting that Spanish-speaking people are trying to learn English, and English-speaking people are trying to learn Spanish," Galarraga says. "I thought that was somewhat telling of our community."

The most circulated video for children was "Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Plans," about an animated British television character by Keith Chapman, who works with a gang of animated work vehicles made of clay.

Galarraga cautioned that the library's system ejects titles that are no longer circulated at the library. She says that could mean circulation data on some old classics, which once were popular, likely has been lost.